March 30 – An exception to the Jewish Dietary Laws

Deuteronomy 13:1 – What happens when the Antichrist comes with signs and wonders? (2 Thessalonians 2:9) Don’t hearken! Just because Pharoah’s magicians could duplicate some of the miracles was not cause to listen to them. Interestingly the phrase “dreamer of dreams” occurs only in this chapter, and not positively.

Deuteronomy 13:10 – Apostasy is to be punished with stoning. In John 10:31 the Jews sought to stone Jesus, for blasphemy (v.33).

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Deuteronomy 14:21 – The dietary laws were not universal – they were just for the Jews. The strangers and aliens were not subject to the dietary laws. Circumcision on the other hand was a prerequisite for certain activities of strangers (Exodus 12:48, Ezekiel 44:9). To help you keep track of the changing dietary laws (based on the message God was communicating to the people at the time) here’s a helpful chart from your author. Obviously meats pre-Fall would require death. For the Jews abstention from certain meats were a symbolism of the holiness God called them to. The phrase “Others may, but I cannot” comes to mind for those whom God has called to a higher standard.

Deuteronomy 15:3 – With the responsibilities of being an Israelite, comes the privileges of being an Israelite. A stranger was entitled to judicial fairness but not all the benefits of Israelite citizenship (see v. 12 also).

Deuteronomy 15:23 – We’ve seen the admonition now 12 times to not eat the blood. That’s why Jesus’ command to drink His blood (John 6:53-60) really bothered the Jews. They knew that the Torah prohibited it, and their forefathers were judged for eating the blood (I Samuel 14:33, Ezekiel 33:25).

Luke 8:41 – Let’s look at who reached out to Jesus in this chapter:

Demon-possessed Mary Magdalene (v.2)

Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s Chief of Staff (v.3)

Mary and Jesus’ half-siblings (v.19)

The faithless disciples (v.24)

The Demonic Legions of Gedara (v.27-30)

The unfriendly Gadarenes (v.37)

The now-clothed former-Maniac of Gedeara (v.38)

Jairus, ruler of the synagogue (v.41)

The anonymous unclean woman with an issue of blood (v.43)

While Jesus was besought of by the political elites (Joanna and Jairus), He also healed those who were suffering from the curse of sin (Mary Magdalene, the Maniac of Gedara, the woman with the issue of blood, and us!)